Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-05-12

lOohinH paics but hhck Vt -Uut
John Earring had gone, and Julius
| jerked his glasses from his nose and
glared after him and squealed; "The
dickensi my, he didn't speak to mar'
and presently bobbcd on down the
street, unconscious that he had not
/ given the young man n chance.
AZ the Office OF Bower S Woodman
John Earling was warmly received.
Judge Bower was very hearty with
him indeed. After conversing n mo-
meut he said 81 presume your trip re-
lated TO carrying out the intention you
once told me of regarding the mystery
Of your fathers deathP"
''Yes, sir IL was almost entirely for
that
"Were YOU successful"
entirely so; and yet II remains n
secret"
"Ah, indcedl Well, l have pieco
Of news for you which Is not. Wood
man is dead and has left you his IL
brary and property"
John Earring sprang up, looking In y
dazed, curious way at the others face.
"Mop" he said; "what-why did ho
leave them to moP'
The Judge smiled, softly. "rhe will
says simply because he is honest and
for other reasons Woodman was
deep. a kind of dcvil-angcl
John Earling sat down; his hands
trcmblod; would fortune and misfort-
une ever cease TO shock together oyrr
his head1 "Whon did he dicP" he
| faltcrcd.
''In Apsi."
ii wish ] ASd been here; it might
have been prevented" "
"What proyentcdP'
"llis bequcath'ng me tho property"
"Why. don't you want itPh-
mo- and he shook his head. star
ing misti'y at the floor; "i.'s not mine;
never earned it. 1t must 90 to those
who need it,
Judge Bower looked long and in
crcdulcusly at the young mans ayerted
face well" he sighed Mt last, III
guess old WOodman didn't misjudge
you"
The young man continued gazing at
the floor; after awhile he looked up.
"rll keep the library for his sake" he
said "fhe other was not earned by
me ut all, or much of IL fairly by him.
| shouldn't like TO use il"
Judge Bower sighed again and
moved about in his chair
III don't need it," said John Earling,
half pleadingly; 81 can not in any
manner make out that il is mine as
conceive Of ownership, and as ! see it,
il really belongs TO the people from
whom Il came, and | shall surely try
to get it back into their hands. at least
into the hands Of those who need It."
The judges heart might have been
broken from the sigh he fetched.
John Earling got up, took Oh his
coat and sat down at his desS II
want 90 20 to work." he said. ia q
mournful tired way. Il will promise
TO be social and civil in day or two.
/ want to find myself or lose myself, or
something Of the kind" with mirth-
less smile, IL have about lost my senses
idling so much"
"Yes, you'd best get to work." said
the judge. with a bitter laugh, 'you
are not far from being as mad rs old
Woodman, hmselfl' and he sighed.
John Earrings head! and eloquencel
and property! how they would boom
the firm were nc only little harder!
and he sighed again. What an oppor-
tunityl what a chance 10 take fortune
az the flood! and lac sighed once more.
He knew deep down in his soul that
the young man was right; that sellless
honesty was the rarcst and perhaps
the noblcst evolyemcnt Of the human
mind thatfor il to dominate the actions
of life was swcetcr than the posses
sion of loOsoly-gotten millions, but he
sighed; sighed like the rest of Us TO see
n bauble, a vapor swept aside, leaving
the real harvest. the wholesome deIS of
actually where it swung.
II was like John Earring 20 got et
once 10 work; it was the intuitiye Amer.
lean way Of numbing trouble; but lc
could not beat back or tie and east out
the biting abysmal thoughts of Celeste
that crowded into his mind.
The next day he went out to the still
inclosure east Of the town. aud, passing
among the oaks and evergrecns, came
where the earth had been wounded by
the making Of two graves, the darkest
wounds earth ever gets. One was
healing over the other was fresh. He
could not keep dry eyes or his heart
from quiyering at sight Of these. What
a flight OF recollcctions went over him!
The two lying at the soundless bottom
Of these wounds had loved him; with
all their strangencss. crudity aud
faults, had been his best friends His
feelings were soft, thing for gratula-
tion, aud he gave them honest tears;
he could not give them more; they had
gone beyond him. But when he came
out from the shady sacred place no
stopped and took a notebook from
his pocket; the check the old lawyer
gave him was there, and when another
month had gone by a glistcning shaft Of
marble lifted its white urn above their
sleeping-place
He came back sorrowfully enough
from the graves that day, and. stop.
ping. entered the house where the old
lawyer had lived. The housc-woman.
by the dead masters instructions, had
kept Il waiting for him. Il shook him
not a little 10 stand alone in that long.
smoky room where the rugged. fiery
old heart that loved him had ceased ~
beat. lie did not 90 into the other
rooms, the rooms where Maun had set
his blood to quicker movement Tho
wOman's life had not matched his; hs
knew it now. Her swaying grace had
passed into beauteous memory, which
to him was as the swaying bOughs Of
trees beside the rythm Of that other
soul, which, like a star out Of the back
ward streaming darkness had con.
yerged upon his own ard won il.
The next day be saw the will, that
strange. laconic instrument Of the old
lawyer-k MAKING. A streak Of caustic
humor san through II not unlike sour
honey. Judge Bower, despite his
signs at the thought Of how little tho
legateo would profit from it, smiled at
his olb partners dying gibes. Then
he tol5 John Earling how he had been
with their old friend in his last hour
and Of the message he had left for him.
'sTheE,n said the Judge, with "A smile